The Montrose Saloon

Great little neighborhood dive bar. Jordan is the man. Great beer garden when weather allows. Also great jukebox

Great neighborhood bar the bartender was great I will be coming back and their beer selection is great!

It’s been about 7 years since I last reviewed the Montrose. Time for an update!
Since my initial review, I’ve moved into the neighborhood. Therefore, I’ve patronized this place often. The Montrose Saloon continues to be one of my favorite bars ever. Here are the myriad reasons why:
— It’s about as unpretentious as it gets. Everyone is welcome here.
— The bar staff. Joanie, Jeff, Kristen, etc. are all great. Jeff has an unparalleled wit and my co-​workers and I like to «visit Jeff» after work on Fridays.
— The beer. The taps clearly reflect the «craft beer trend.» Begyle’s Tough Guy Ale, Revolution’s Anti-​Hero, Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter, Lagunitas’ Pils, Oskar Blue’s Dale’s Pale Ale, etc.
— The whisky/​whiskey. Check out the list.
— Outdoor space. It’s huge! It’s simple– picnic benches, tables, umbrellas. Bring on the nice weather!

Great old Saloon! Real good selection of Chi-​Town brews on draft that are served COLD and fresh/​you can tell the lines are CLEAN! Cool old windows made out of bottles and tons of board games to be had at this establishment. The bartender was great and the clientele seemed to be locals?! Prices fair and it’s right next to Breakroom Brewing. get dat did

Wandered in here after taking a peek at Breakroom next door. Solid bar. Very solid bar.
The bartender was great and chatted for a bit as it was a slow night in the early evening. She mentioned there was new ownership, and they were bringing in craft beers and whiskey. As i’m no stranger to either, it was a very pleasant surprise to see the likes of Begyle, Off Color, Penrose, Daisy Cutter and Anti-​Hero, along with many other craft staples. Solid list, which is rare for the area, but steadily improving.
The whiskey list was still in progress with new arrivals on the way, but I noticed Four Roses, which is good enough for me.
Atmosphere was cozy with a relaxed unpretentious vibe, I peeked outside to take a look at the patio, which reminded me of a backyard BBQ in a good way. Horseshoes, BYO grill and patio tables, what more could you want?
I’ll be back here many times to complete the Breakroom-​Montrose Saloon-​Templestowe Pub trifecta…

Great joint. Big glasses of booze for cheap. Internet jukebox, which = everything you want to listen to. Late close, typical dive bar.

What a gem this place is. We have lived right around the corner for 2 years but stopped in for the first time two weeks ago. Great jukebox, good beer selection, huge beer garden that rivals anything I’ve seen in Chicago for people who want to have a casual good time, and horseshoes. The bartender was friendly and joked with us, and nobody made us feel unwelcome, even though we had a largish party of newcomers (which sometimes is frowned upon by the regulars at a neighborhood bar like this)
What else could you want?
Well, I wish it wasn’t cash only, but that’s about it.

Ravenswood & Albany Park folks really need to support this place. Good live music events, best beer garden in the area and great staff.

Great neighborhood spot with lots of live folk-​blues music. Good vibe.

Best bar/​beer garden in the City!!! The staff are cool and friendly and the owner is a riot! They’ve expanded the beer selection, have some pretty cool bands on the weekends and the place has recently been remodeled with great bathrooms!
Grab some friends, bring in a pizza and chill in the garden! It just doesn’t get any better than this!

This place is amazing! The staff is great, the owner is hilarious! Just started coming here recently and have been back a few times already. Definitely worth the drive from the burbs to here. Perfect dive bar to just come and hang out with your buddies.

my new go to place… kind of sick of the lincoln squares
cheap, average, reminds me of wisconsin

Very cool local bar in this neighborhood. Went here with a friend just this past weekend and though there was only 5 people in the place, we had a blast. The bartender was very cool and lively and they have a great touch button juke box and a decent beer selection. Defo a fun old man bar IMHO.

Went here on a Saturday night.
PROS:
–Inexpensive mixed drinks (for Chicago)
–Patio you can bring your own food and BBQ
–Not crowded (on a Saturday night!)
–Music is not too loud (I could hear people, and they heard me!)
CONS:
–Not a lot of seating, just a few stools around the bar

Montrose is defintely not going to WOW anyone that comes in with medium/​high expectations. it is the epitome of a ‘dive bar’ with it’s rustic décor and dark lighting.
The owner, Jerry, is an AWESOME GUY and always is open to sponsor our softball teams and tournament teams.
In the summer months, the outdoor beer garden comes is very handy. there is a nice sized patio for chillin out… a yard with tables and horseshoes… and even a GAS GRILL that anyone can use. It is BYOM (meat) of course though.
Defintely an awesome owner that wants to make sure everyone present is enjoying themselves. We will be around this place for many more years to come!

I was in the neighborhood and looking for a beer garden. I pulled up my trusty Unilocal iphone app and was led to the montrose saloon based on its great reviews and decided to try…
Well, I am assuming that all the Unilocal reviews for this «bar» were either paid or done by brainwashed patrons. This could not haven been a worse experience.
First, we found the «beer garden» which was basically a deserted and overgrown weed lot with rotting wood furniture. Nice but no biggie as we had expected a dive.
Second, there was no service. Yes, there was a bartender who greeted us but she never came out to the patio to serve or suggest we needed to go out and get drinks. She just stayed inside chatting with a patron. We understood that this might be a consistent problem as one chair on the patio had a piece bitten out of it. We suspect an earlier patron had done this out of desperation waiting for service.
Third, when we left the bartender said nothing and did not think it was odd that we had never been served.
Overall, you can skip this place unless you have such a severe jonesing for alcohol or warped lawn furniture that you cannot make it another block.

A great place to get together with friends!
Cheap beer and drinks and great bartenders!

An entire star for being within stumbling distance of my front door. This is a great little neighborhood bar… relaxed, laid back, chill, comfy. The staff is friendly enough, and there is live music often enough. There is a large beer garden with horseshoes and bags and do-it-yo’self grillin’. Cheap booze, too! Can’t argue with these things, really.
Montrose Saloon is a really good neighborhood hang out in a neighborhood that lacks neighborhood hang outs.

Going here was quite an adventure for me. A friend had expressed interest in checking out their bluegrass night, so we made tentative plans to stop in.
I got there a little before she did, so I ordered my first jack and coke. Mmmm, strong drinks, cheap prices.
Friend shows up, we drink some more, we do some venting, then the music starts. It was okay.
I definitely wouldn’t object to going back.

The Montrose is my home away from home. The regulars there always have a smile and a warm hug for me (and my husband.) The staff is friendly and delightful. They have live music regularly and treat their talent well. The monthly bluegrass jam is a real treat! Plus their jukebox offers everything from Abba to Zappa!
The Montrose has a big heart. They have been hosting benefits for quite awhile. They support causes from fundraisers for WLUW to Ovarian Cancer to raising monies for public school children’s dance competitions!
In the summer their beer garden can’t be beat!